


I Prefer To Walk Rather Than Stand Still

by ShadowSnowdapple



Series: Oops? [1]
Category: Moominvalley (Cartoon 2019), Mumintroll | Moomins Series - Tove Jansson, 楽しいムーミン一家 | Moomin (Anime)
Genre: Chronic Illness, Chronic Pain, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Family, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, It's my turn to project on Snufkin, Minor Injuries, Oh gosh this is self indulgent, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Referenced but not stated:, Snufmin if you squint but I didnt state it but theyre in love ok, The Author Regrets Nothing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2019-05-08
Packaged: 2020-02-28 07:20:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18751684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowSnowdapple/pseuds/ShadowSnowdapple
Summary: "Snufkin much preferred walking to standing still. He also preferred sitting to standing still as well. It wasn’t just the act of being still that bothered Snufkin, he enjoyed his moments of peace at rest with the soft air on his face and sunlight on his skin, it was how he felt when he stood still that he disliked."





	I Prefer To Walk Rather Than Stand Still

**Author's Note:**

> IT'S MY TURN TO PROJECT ON THE SNUFKIN.
> 
> also this is my first fic i've posted online so uh- enjoy? but this is self-indulgent fluff, only posting because similar self-indulgent fluff makes me happy to read so maybe it might make you happy too. So... yeah!

Snufkin much preferred walking to standing still. He also preferred sitting to standing still as well. It wasn’t just the act of being still that bothered Snufkin, he enjoyed his moments of peace at rest with the soft air on his face and sunlight on his skin, it was how he felt when he stood still that he disliked.

 

If Snufkin stood still for a moment it was fine. He could pause before his steps, consider something on the road, take a moment to listen to the world around him. However, it was when he lingered that it became disagreeable. He would feel like Cotton was slowly expanding in his brain and he could feel his heart beginning to pound in his chest, he felt lightheaded and soon the ground would begin to feel like it was unstable. 

 

One time, Snufkin had been stopped by a Hemulan who was reprimanding him for something or other and Snufkin was forced to stand there… and stand there… the Cotton feeling grew and grew until the world started to tunnel in. He could hear the Hemulan talking to him but the words made no sense, spots danced in his vision and Snufkin could feel his racing heartbeat in every inch of his skin.

 

The next thing Snufkin knew he was staring at the sky, his skin felt clammy and cold and while the Hemulan was still upset at Snufkin for the something-or-other he did, the Hemulan seemed rather concerned and insisted that Snufkin lay there for a bit longer.

 

“You’re as pale as a sheet,” he had huffed, “stay down.”

 

As much as Snufkin felt the urge to rebel, his head was still clearing of the cloudy feeling and his arm ached, likely from the fall. So he stayed there on the ground staring at the sky as the Hemulan switched between reprimanding Snufkin and giving him concerned glances.

 

When Snufkin returned to Moominhouse the next day, he relented to letting Moominmama look at his wrist as it had swollen, looked bruised and his fingers felt numb.

 

“Oh you poor thing,” Mama had said as she looked at Snufkin’s wrist, turning it around as they sat in the living room on the couch. 

 

“What did you do?” Little My asked from her perch on the backrest of the couch, looking at the injury from where she crouched.

 

“I fell,” Snufkin explained simply.

 

“Must have been a nasty fall,” Moomintroll lamented from another chair, his legs curled up on the seat, looking worried but obviously trying not to hover.

 

Snufkin shrugged as Moominmama turned his hand around again and Snufkin barely held in a wince. “I think you may have dislocated your wrist, it doesn’t feel too badly out of place so I could fix it but it will hurt and take a while to heal.”

 

Snufkin let out a sigh of frustration before nodding. Moominpapa even offered Snufkin a cup of brandy to numb the pain, which Snufkin took with little argument. 

 

That Autumn, Snufkin spent most of the season down an arm, which everyone could tell made Snufkin very uncomfortable. He didn’t want to have to accept any help but it was difficult to fish or hike or even cook with one hand if it wasn’t something you were used to. Snufkin begrudgingly accepted the Moomin’s assistance but was more than happy that his wrist was all but healed when winter began to rear its head.

 

Snufkin swore to himself to not let any old Hemulan make him fall over like that again.

 

Snufkin vehemently avoided standing like that again and tried to pay closer attention to his body. Standing turned into pacing, he would lean or sit if someone started talking (taking no mind if anyone found it rude), and avoided waiting at any shop that looked to have a wait longer than a couple of minutes.

 

Snufkin returned with spring to Moominvalley with no new injuries but Moominmama insisted on double checking the wrist that had been dislocated.

 

“Looks like it’s mostly back to normal, no other issues?” Moominmama checked as she let go of Snufkin’s arm.

 

Snufkin shook his head, “just a bit sore sometimes, but it’s no big deal.”

 

“Good,” Moominmama smiled warmly, “now you be careful, I would hate for you to have to be stuck somewhere because you were hurt.”

 

Snufkin nodded vigorously at that. That was the last thing he wanted to happen.

 

Springs passed and something happened. It was slow, but I began to grow. When Snufkin climbed down mountains his joints ached in protest and make loud cracking noises when he moved, he felt more and more exhausted, he would stand up and find himself catching himself from falling straight over again. Snufkin tried his best to hide it but Moomintroll noticed his friend’s stumbles when he stood and the growing look of exhaustion on his face.

 

Snufkin stood up from the couch once to help with the dishes and Moomin had to grab him from falling straight forward onto his face. 

 

Little My gasped and Moominpapa quickly stood up as Moomintroll gripped Snufkin tightly as he tried to shake the spots from his eyes.

 

“Are you okay?” Moomintroll gasped, leading Snufkin back to sit down again. “You look pale-“

 

Snufkin rubbed his temples as he felt his heart rate begin to fall again. “I’ll be fine… just a head rush.”

 

“You almost fell on your face!” Little My called out, “that’s more than a head rush!”

 

Snufkin glared at her as Moominmama walked in from the kitchen, probably alerted by the commotion. “What’s going on here?”

 

“Snufkin almost fainted like a dandy!” Little My called out, “he stood up and just about fell over!”

 

Moominmama immediately looked concerned, “Oh dear, have you drank much water today Snufkin, I know we just ate-“

 

“I’ve been drinking water,” Snufkin sighed, “it just happens, it’s fine.”

 

“That’s not fine!” Moomintroll argued, “You almost fainted! And this happens often?”

 

Snufkin groaned. Great. Now he really worried them. “It’s fine, Moomin, really. I can take care of myself.”

 

“But you’ve been doing this a lot lately,” Little My pointed out, “don't think I haven’t noticed! You’ve been getting pale like a ghost a lot and you always look like you’ve not gotten a wink of sleep!”

 

Snufkin continued to glare at his sister. It was just like her to not let anyone have any secrets.

 

“That does sound right now that she mentions it,” Moominpapa considered, “when I was going over my last script with you the other day you sat on the floor.”

 

“You have been asking for more coffee than normal,” Moominmama added.

 

Even Moomintroll spoke up, “I uh… noticed that you stopped to stretch and pop your legs when we were hiking yesterday. I heard you muttering that it hurt…”

 

Snufkin buried his face in his hands.

 

“Oh Snufkin, just tell us what’s wrong,” Moominmama set a paw on his knee, “we won’t force you to do anything or stay here, we just want to help.”

 

Snufkin finally let out a sigh, glancing up at the members of Moominhouse- no, his family.

 

“I’ve… been very tired lately. I’ve been sleeping just fine but it doesn’t seem like any amount of sleep makes me feel rested. Also, I’ve been feeling very lightheaded when I stand still, I can feel my heart pounding like I’ve been running so I try to sit down,” he glanced over at Moomintroll, “and I uh… I’ve been in pain. Often. But especially when going up and down the mountains. It’s still fun but it makes me ache.”

 

“Oh dear,” Moominmama said in a hushed tone as everyone stared looking shocked (though Snufkin thought Little My looked a slight bit smug).

 

Snufkin shuffled, “but I don’t want any of that to stop me.”

 

“Of course not!” Moomintroll blurts out, “we just want you to take care of yourself, Snufkin.”

 

Little My scoffed, “Yeah, don’t you think having a couple of extra hands to help you figure something like this out would be better than all by yourself.”

 

“I know one of my friends in my youth said something similar,” Moominpapa added, “he would sleep all day if he could and complain that his back hurt, but he was always the most nimble of us.”

 

Moominmama let out a small chuckle, “I think I still remember the things I would give him from grandmother’s book. We could start there.”

 

Snufkin watched as Moominmama returned to the kitchen to grab some things. Over the next week or so she would hand him tea leaves and potions for all sorts of things and while they didn’t fix it, it did cut down some of the pain and gave Snufkin a bit more energy than just coffee. Moomintroll would remind Snufkin to sit down or stretch before standing up and Little My would also do so but much less politely.

 

“I’m your big sister,” she huffed, “I’m allowed to nag you.”

 

Snufkin still found himself nodding off and tired some days or in more pain than others. Moomintroll seemed to start to be able to pick up on it, suggesting for lazy days in the valley which would usually end up with Snufkin falling asleep against a tree or against Moomin as Moomintroll either made flower wreaths or practiced on Snufkin’s mouth-organ. 

 

Maybe it wasn’t so bad to rely on them sometimes.

**Author's Note:**

> Apparently, it's EDS awareness month which I found out AFTER I wrote most of this so uh....? Information on EDS which is what some of this is based on (and my own experiences with it cause I'm a projecting nightmare gremlin) can be found [here](https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/)
> 
> (the other is POTS which info can be found [here](http://www.dysautonomiainternational.org/) )


End file.
